DURHAM, N.C. -- Former Duke All-American and 2010 NCAA Champion Jon Scheyer recently signed a two-year contract to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli League.

"I am really excited to take the next step in my basketball career and go play for Maccabi Tel Aviv," said Scheyer. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to play for a team with such great tradition."

Scheyer spent last season in the NBA D-League after suffering a signiifcant eye injury during an NBA Summer League game. He helped lead the Rio Grande Vipers to the D-League finals and closed the year averaging 13.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Since Scheyer is Jewish, he won't be considered as a foreigner player, but as an Israeli which will be a good advantage to Maccabi in the Israeli league.

"I wanted Jon already last season and I'm very happy that we managed to sign him," said David Blatt, head coach of Maccabi. "Jon is a very talented and smart player, he is a true winner although his young age, not less importantly he is Jewish who is coming to Israel and I wish he will stay here for many more years."

Scheyer will join a Maccabi Tel Aviv team that went 26-1 in the Premier League and features Americans Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga), Richard Hendrix (Alabama), Shawn James (Duquesne) and Derrick Sharp (South Florida).

Maccabi Tel Aviv has the richest tradition of basketball success in Israel with five European championships, 49 Israeli championships, 38 Israeli Cups and two League Cups. It is also the fourth-most successful club in European history, and one of the most successful teams of the past decade in European basketball, having won three titles and reaching the finals five times in that period.